No-one But You
by Smoky
Summary: This is a weird, plotless L/J fic. I repeat. WEIRD! AND PLOTLESS! If you have problem with this, do not read!! **Comic Interlude/ Chapter 6 & 7 up..to the death of this fic!** plus I've changed the chapters so there is hopefully less swearing
1. I just can't escape

25/4/02 – UNBLOCK YOUR EARS KIDDIES!!… swearing problems hopefully fixed!  
  
**DISCLAIMER** Smoky thinks she owns the poem and everything else belongs to good ol' J.K. Rowling! Yeaaaahhhh!!!  
  
[AN: So many L/J fics! ARGH! Look @ the competition! Dammit, I'll just hope that someone's sad enuf to read my fic and… read it. Yeh. Plz r+r! Oh well yes *ahem* I think it's better left to the – should have been – fic to explain itself hehe…]  
  
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NO-ONE BUT YOU  
  
~ I'm just a prop in your endless world  
  
High above  
  
I feel no hurt  
  
I'm only a shadow  
  
fading with dawn  
  
Kissing your lips  
  
when you're long gone… ~  
  
*Chapter 1* I just can't escape  
  
Lily couldn't study. There was just too much on her mind. It was only a fortnight after the school year had commenced and already she felt like a deranged lunatic. Slightly derailed, like a little puppy stray.  
  
She went out into the grounds. Over by the lake she spotted a bunch of dudes and one of them stood out like a lighthouse, tall and black-haired and handsome. Lily tried to go over but she felt a familiar groping around her nether region, and arms swiping her aside. She screamed loudly and high- pitched.  
  
'No, no! Please not again Severus!' she said. A cold voice answered her, 'I'm not Severus.'  
  
Lily stopped panting a little as the arms let her down. She spun around and faced the blonde boy, snapping with all the rage of a bread knife slicing through a slab of butter. 'Lucius! You scheming jerk, keep your hands off me!!'  
  
But Malfoy only pulled his sadistic evil smirk and reached for her chest. 'Not while you look good to me, baby'  
  
Lily screamed again and struggled. Malfoy slid his creeping hands under her shirt, smirking all the while. Lily stopped screaming and panted heavily while she felt his hands sliding around. She gritted her teeth in agony before Malfoy moved his hand to scratch his butt. She wrenched herself from his grasp and kicked him right in the groin, leaving him to lie on the ground writhing in pain and cursing her. A sly grin crossed her face. 'Suck on that!'  
  
She approached James, the tall guy. I've always looked at him from a distance, she thought, and damn he's hot! It was true. She had been watching him for all of her first year and missed him bitterly during the break. Now that she was back, she was intent only on finding him and claiming her territory. [AN: I'll leave that interpretation to your imagination]  
  
'Well here's a pretty lookin baby,' She slipped around him and drew herself up against his body to look into his deep dark eyes. 'What's ya name, honey?' In actual fact she knew his name well, her tongue frequently practiced its delectable tones, but she didn't want to be open to the fact that she was awkward with boys. Her embarrassment was heightened by a bit of chewing gum on his lapel that stuck to her hand. She tried discreetly to wipe it off but it was sticky.  
  
James looked blankly at her, trying to ignore Remus and Sirius cracking up behind him. He felt his face turn red and steam pour out his ears. He hadn't exactly been ignoring Lily's charm the past year and even though he'd secured a bad-boy reputation around the school, looking into Lily's clear green eyes made him feel mushy and weird, like he was going soft. 'You—'  
  
'James likes Lily! James likes Lily!' he heard a chant from behind him. Lily went pink and slid down off him.  
  
'Give it break will you!' James tried a swing at Sirius and slapped him full-on in the face. Sirius squealed like a baby. 'I don't even know the bitch!'  
  
'Bitch, am I? Bitch!?' Lily's face went the colour of a ripe tomato and she kicked James in the shins, in spite of herself. 'I'll show you bitch if you really want!'  
  
James, slightly abashed but recovering, drew himself up. 'I dare you. Go on. Show me a bitch!'  
  
'Oh, I will!' screamed Lily, surprised at her own daring. 'Just wait until a day when your head isn't half as thick! I can't imagine why I ever thought of *you* in the first place!'  
  
'You…! I don't know why I liked you either!' James called after her. But as she walked almost hesitantly away, both of them knew that it wasn't the truth. Lily couldn't keep away from Malfoy and Snape who assaulted her at every opportunity, and big bad James Potter could offer her the protection she wanted; James, while he could pick up just about every girl in the school, had his eye only on her.  
  
No matter what either of them said, there was already an unbreakable bond between them (besides the gum, presumably, which still wouldn't come off Lily's hand nor James' shirt).  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Back in the girls' dorms, Lily stretched out on her bed and stared at the ceiling. Most of the others were down at dinner in the Great Hall, but she'd voluntarily given it a skip. Her kind of hunger was different. She'd been trying to convince herself that anything she felt for "that James boy" was non-existent, but it was like trying to stop the rain from falling.  
  
God, Jamesie, she thought. I want you bad! I know you want me baby, but…  
  
Lily rolled over. She wasn't naturally a bad girl type of person, but if that's what she had to be to get to her territory, then she would do it or die trying. [AN: many thanks to Oliver Wood for that line]  
  
She buried her face in her pillow, smiling secretly. And for the time being, lost in sick fantasies, she forgot all about Malfoy and Snape.  
  
I'll be your bitch, baby, I'll be your bad girl. Just you wait, baby, I'm gonna rock your world  
  
  
  
[AN: Well there it is… first chapter… what do you think? Plz review for me cuz if no-one likes it then why the #$@^ would I continue? Hehehe… cyaz l8r] 


	2. My Face, My Mask

25/4/02 – hopefully the swearing problem has been fixed  
  
**DISCLAIMER!!** Well, in the tried & tested words of… everyone else, everything that you don't recognise is mine and everything else belongs to J.K. Rowling. This poem and every poem after it is also mine.  
  
[AN: Whether you like it or not, I'm CONTINUING! HAHAHAHAHA!! I guess one measly tiny chapter isn't enough to base one's judgement upon…. Oh um yes right *cough cough*. Anywayz I'm pretty new to L/J so I'm just using the same names as every1 else uses so if any of them are actually original plz flame me…hehehe …and I'll fix it pronto!!!!! ^_^]  
  
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~ I'm not what you want  
  
I'm not what you need  
  
but I can't keep away  
  
I don't want to bleed  
  
Savour my soul and grant me peace  
  
or shatter my being and grant me release… ~  
  
*Chapter 2* My Face, My Mask  
  
'Honestly Lily, I don't know why you put up with it.' Miniature Minerva McGonagall ruffled up her feathers [AN: no feathers I know but I like that phrase] and stared down her nose at Lily, who had just divulged her secrets about Malfoy and Snape constantly raping her.  
  
'As if it's *my* fault, you stupid idiot!' And Lily was in a very bad mood. She stormed out of the dorms into the common room, ripping portraits off the wall and hurling them into the fire. People shuffled sideways and looked at her weirdly as though she was a dangerous maniac.  
  
Lily gave the Fat Lady a good kick and went out the portrait hole. She had just turned to go to the library when she bumped full-on into a tall dark handsome stranger. No, not a stranger. She looked up into his face. It was James Potter.  
  
She stumbled. 'I – er, um…'  
  
'Well well, look what we have here. Miss Resident Slut.'  
  
'Jamesie.'  
  
James stared at her for a moment, stunned, then his face contorted and he grabbed a fistful of her robes, slamming her against the wall and hanging her by her neck. 'What did you call me!? What the hell did you call me?!!'  
  
'Jamesie.' Lily was unabashed. James paused, then swooped down on her, kissing her and feeling her wriggle under him. They continued for a bit, to a general chorus of 'ooooooh, aaaaah!!!' in the hallway, echoed in the background by weeping girls (and guys, for that matter).  
  
There was a great clumping noise from behind them. 'Aw, yuck, c'mon guys, break it up, stop that! Making me sick!' Lily and James looked around and saw a dumpy fat little man brandishing a wand at them. His eyes were twinkling.  
  
'Albus,' said James.  
  
'James,' said Albus.  
  
Dumbledore paused a moment and looked at the two practically humping each other in the hall. [AN: Yes, in those days Dumbledore was fat and short, hehehe] 'Congratulations young man. You've learned my name. But in future you *will* refer to me as Professor Dumbledore.' The twinkle in his eyes flickered. 'Now break it up you two. Or else get a room! Ugh!' he shuddered, and went to vomit behind a pot plant.  
  
They stared after him for a minute, then James slid off Lily, disgusted. 'Miserable ragamuffin,' he spat. It took Lily a moment to realise that he was talking about Dumbledore and not her. 'Idiot. Someone needs to give that ol' spout a good going-through.'  
  
Silence. Then, 'Er, James?'  
  
'Yes, Lily-Lily?'  
  
'Got to go now. Potions.'  
  
'Potions,' snarled James 'Slytherin and that air-head Snape. I'm comin' baby.' They walked off feeling mushy and holding hands, and from that moment onwards were inseparable.  
  
Malfoy and Snape shared a cauldron in Potions and both looked pissed off at the sight of "their Lily" getting all cosy with one of their sworn enemies, that James Potter. He had his hands all over her where they had never reached and she giggled as though she was actually enjoying it.  
  
'That jerk,' muttered Snape behind his hand. 'He'll corrupt Lily, so he will.'  
  
'Heard Dumbledore didn't mind 'em,' said Malfoy uneasily. 'You'd be pretty stupid to cross him.'  
  
To his surprise, Snape actually turned on him. 'You – You're such an idiot! You're going over to their side! Well damn you! I'm not going to sit around like some little pretty boy and watch him drooling over her! That screw- ball Lily doesn't know what she's missing out on!'  
  
'Hear, hear.' Malfoy grumbled. He stared absent-mindedly at Lily and felt himself grow hot and rise [AN: …ugh! i dunno where that came from…]. Most unfortunately for him, Snape noticed this.  
  
'You know what I mean. I'm gonna get that girl when this is out.'  
  
When the bell rang for the end of class, Malfoy slid off muttering about not carrying condoms and not wanting to see Snape screwing someone, and was berated by Snape for being too soft. Snape stuffed his books into his bag and fell into step behind Lily, trying discreetly to tail her. He found his chance when she broke away from James to go to the girl's bathroom, and he sunk into the shadows before he could be seen.  
  
Lily trundled up a fairly empty corridor and Snape made sure that James and his posse were out of sight before he took a firm grip of her arm and slammed it against the wall. She whimpered. He swung around her and pinned her down.  
  
'Lily,' he breathed 'You've been hanging around with that prick James and I don't like that.'  
  
Every ounce of confidence Lily had had with James crumbled under her fear. 'Please, please Severus, please don't…' she whispered pitifully. 'Not again, *please*…'  
  
He slapped her savagely. 'You!' he snarled. 'You're coming with me.' Then he took both her arms, tied them up and dragged her to a dark corner away from the light and the girl's bathroom. 'You're in for it girl. You'll be sorry you ever crossed us.'  
  
'No! NO!' she cried. 'James, James where are you?!'  
  
Snape descended over her and began to attack her clothes. He scraped his rough fingers down her delicate flesh. She squealed and cried.  
  
'Severus have mercy on me! PLEASE! Pleeeeee…' But she might as well have been begging a brick wall. Snape had her top off and was just starting on her skirt when he heard footsteps coming around the corner.  
  
'Damn,' he mumbled and pushed her into a cupboard. He threw her shirt out one of the tower windows and scurried into the cupboard beside her. It was dark and musty and he could hear her snivelling. 'Shut up you pipsqueak' he hissed but she refused. The footsteps approached and seemed to stop right next to the cupboard in which they were hidden.  
  
Oh no, thought Lily, this is bad. Should I scream? He might… he might kill me… But I can't take anymore!  
  
Then she did what Snape had dreaded. 'HELP!!! HELP ME!!! PLEASE!!!' He clamped a hand over her mouth but was too late.  
  
The cupboard door was thrown open and he found himself being dragged out by the very person he had not wanted to see.  
  
'You JERK!' screamed James. 'What the HELL were you doing with my girlfriend!'  
  
'Just getting up to some unfinished business,' snarled Snape, trying to sound blasé. 'Here you are interrupting my mating ceremony. Our Lily—'  
  
'*YOUR* Lily!? Fucking hell Severus she's MINE!!!'  
  
Snape glared for a moment into James' glittering angry eyes, and saw his own savageness reflected in them. 'Then we'll have a threesome.' he snapped. 'Is that what you want!?'  
  
James glared back. 'She's… she's…' And he became speechless when he saw Lily torn, naked, and bleeding, crawling slowly out of the cupboard. Tears were pouring down her cheeks.  
  
A weird anger came over James and he took Snape by the neck, bashing his head against the wall many times, howling and shouting while cradling Lily in his other arm.  
  
'Lily… oh Lily…'  
  
Something like a stampede echoed behind them. Sirius raced into the dark room, flanked by Remus while Peter bounded along behind. There was a stunned silence then Sirius grabbed James' arm and made him drop poor old Snape.  
  
'James let go, stop it big boy, just…' They spotted Lily and fell silent again. There was no sound except for Lily's whimpering. Snape had been knocked out with blood oozing from his ears.  
  
'Control yourself,' said Sirius quietly, but his voice was shaking. 'There's nothing that's going to stop that dolt if he's after Lily.'  
  
James nodded but he was pale. Then he fell to his knees and for the first time in his one and a bit years at Hogwarts, began to cry. Snape's attack on Lily had made him suddenly feel more vulnerable than ever, even with his bad-boy image. The brittleness he showed and felt now made him think that maybe his outer image was only a shield, a mask.  
  
Maybe just. For Lily's sake.  
  
[AN: So… how was that chapter? not exactly what I expected but anywayz… Wow, I'm starting to develop a taste for this, maybe I'll even write more!! that is if anyone likes it… ^_^] 


	3. The Demons that plague me

25/4/02 – tried to fix swearing problem  
  
[AN: Damn I felt like writing!!! :P)  
  
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~ I know no composure  
  
Only extremes  
  
Like hellish solitude  
  
a prisoner's scream  
  
I can't run away  
  
when you're hunting my hide  
  
and I can't fight the fear  
  
you conjure inside ~  
  
*Chapter 3* The Demons that plague me  
  
Snape was put up in the hospital wing for three weeks straight. Madam Pomfrey had had a terrible time trying to mold his head back into its proper shape. By then James had recovered to his *natural* state and was able to laugh along with the others when poor Snape was given bucketloads of extra homework to bring him back up. Of course, James hadn't owned up to beating him but neither had Snape owned up to assaulting Lily. Either way would land them both in deep shit and perhaps it was this that made them leave each other alone… for a while at least.  
  
Several months had gone by since Snape raped Lily. The severe beating that had followed had taught him enough. Malfoy voluntarily stayed out of the limelight, averting his eyes whenever he passed Lily in the corridors. Now, more than ever, James kept a hold of her and made sure he knew where she was. Several times he had been given a harsh detention for beating up girls who'd tried to hit onto him, or guys who'd tried to steal Lily.  
  
On one such occasion he was summoned to Dumbledore's office. He stood outside the stone gargoyle, fiddling slightly but not in the least bit nervous. He'd been here several times before.  
  
McGonagall came striding up behind him. 'Ogling ogres,' she snarled at the gargoyle, which came to life and leapt aside. 'Come on Potter.' She swept along up the staircase and James strode gallantly behind.  
  
She stopped just short of Dumbledore's desk. 'The boy, sir.'  
  
Dumbledore smiled at her, but his eyes did not. 'Thankyou, Professor. Would you please leave us now. James, seat yourself.'  
  
Professor McGonagall made a funny bow and slipped out. James sat and looked around rather uneasily. Even Fawkes the phoenix seemed to be frowning at him. His thoughts were interrupted by Dumbledore clearing his throat and peering across the table at him. His blue eyes were sharp and analytical.  
  
'James, please explain yourself.' he said solemnly. 'Yesterday at precisely this time you were found beating a Hufflepuff first-year in the Great Hall. The aforementioned student was transferred to the hospital wing with severe head injuries and today still has not recovered consciousness. We have yet to recover a motive for your actions.' He checked himself, thinking he sounded like a news reporter.  
  
'I don't need to explain myself. You've just done it for me.'  
  
Dumbledore's face hardened. 'Don't talk back to me. I only want to know why you have been doing these things.'  
  
In a thrice, James was on his feet glaring furiously at Dumbledore, in spite of himself. 'You've seen those jerks in the corridor! They can't keep their eyes off Lily, off me! They want my Lily, they have to get through me!'  
  
Either Dumbledore didn't hear the expletive, or he had pretended not to. 'James, you have been nothing but trouble since the day I found you and that Lily smooching in the corridor. I forced you off for a reason. Already I can see your bad influence starting to wash over her!!'  
  
'They deserve what they get for laying their hands on my property.' His voice was cold.  
  
'No! If you keep this up it will only be a matter of time before either you and Lily are permanently separated, or someone meets mortal peril by your hand and you will be expelled!' Dumbledore fell silent at the force of his argument. 'I'm only trying to warn you, James. Keep your behaviour in check or else I will do it for you.'  
  
James looked sullenly into his eyes for a moment, then stood up and stormed out of the office.  
  
It was almost Christmas, and Hogwarts was blanketed in snow. James, Sirius, Remus and Peter spent all the time they could outdoors pelting snowballs at each other. Eventually Lily, having few friends of her own, tagged along and James took the opportunity to peg snowballs at people whom he normally would have beaten up.  
  
One afternoon the sun came out to shine weakly. James was in the courtyard sitting under a tree with his arm around Lily. He'd told the others to rack off and they were trying to skate on the frozen lake.  
  
'You goin' home for the hols?' said James. Lily shook her head.  
  
'Nah man, I can't go back to that. Another month with my damn sister.'  
  
'She's a Muggle, huh.'  
  
'Yeah…'  
  
'Well the joke's on her, ain't it?'  
  
'You could say that…'  
  
There was a mighty scream from the direction of the lake yonder and James leapt to his feet. The lake had broken through under the boys' weight and Remus was floating deep under the freezing water.  
  
'Don't worry, Uncle's coming!' yelled James and dive-bombed into the lake.  
  
The water around him was icy. As he pushed himself towards Remus' floating body, he wondered whether or not the lake would refreeze itself with him still in it. He must hurry.  
  
Remus was still conscious, though barely. He kicked frantically when he saw James.  
  
'Bub-bubbub-bub BUB!' spluttered James, supposedly meaning 'take my hand'. He extended his hand and a great stream of bubbles at Remus' face. He felt frozen fingers clutching his and then he slowly propelled his way to the surface, turning blue because of the ice or because he was out of oxygen.  
  
Lily, watching through the sheet of ice, felt frozen too, but because of panic. At last the water surface broke and out popped James, dripping, blue. He hauled Remus' still body over onto the banks and bent over him. Sirius and Peter stared at him silently. James paused a moment to get his breath then swooped down onto Remus much the same way as he done on Lily.  
  
They looked away instantly but in a few moments Remus was sitting up, coughing, spluttering out water. He looked dreamily at James for a second before he realised who he was.  
  
'Ughhh!!' he groaned. 'Shame on you Jamesie-boy! What do you think I am, a lesbian?' The others laughed.  
  
'No, sweetie,' James drawled sarcastically. 'Not unless you *are* a woman.'  
  
'Oh James!' cried Lily, in mock despair. 'You haven't been cheating on me have you?'  
  
Before anyone had time to laugh there was a cold snarl from behind a nearby tree.  
  
'So your precious Jamesie has been cheating on you, has he? I told you you'd be sorry.'  
  
James spun around in an instant. 'Severus! Lucius! Show yourself!' He narrowed his eyes at the tree and sure enough Snape popped out from behind the trunk.  
  
'You've had Lily from me too long now!' he hissed. 'She's mine, and she was long before you even laid eyes on her!'  
  
'Liar!' spat James. He whipped his wand out of his pocket and around him Peter, Remus and Sirius did likewise. 'Do what you want, you're never going to take Lily while I'm around!' Lily whimpered and James gave her a quick reassuring look. He raised his wand at pointed it between Snape's eyes. 'Just you try, you mad ol' bastard. I know some good hexes and I'm not afraid to kick your sorry ass with them…' Snape's face contorted with rage and he saw the opportunity to turn the knife. '…oh, I'm so sorry, was that your *face*?'  
  
Without turning a hair, Snape called. 'Malfoy! Get here now!' Lucius stepped out obediently, carrying a knife and a look of great contempt. The sun glinted on the knife blade and Lily felt a surge of fear. She whipped out her own wand, pointed it at him and screamed 'Expelliarmus!' [AN: Did I spell it right?]  
  
It knocked the knife out of Lucius' hands and the look off his face. He stared stupidly as it careered up in the air then came down right in the middle of his cranium with a sickening squelch and a dull thud.  
  
'Way to go, Lily-Lily!' James whispered, but Lily went green. She turned and bolted.  
  
Delayed reaction. Malfoy finally seemed to feel the knife in his skull and he screamed, falling to the ground with a big rush of blood. Snape helped him up and they began to race to the hospital wing.  
  
'You idiot!' Snape screamed back at them over his shoulder. 'I'll get your precious Lily-face over the holidays!'  
  
'Well good for you!' Sirius yelled after them. They tucked their wands away quickly as Lily crept back towards James, like a mouse approaching a piece of cheese. He put his arms around her, though his ears were still fuming from the confrontation.  
  
'Oh no, James,' Peter commented. 'If you're going for the holidays, Lily's staying, and so are Malfoy and Snape…'  
  
The succeeding silence filled all of them with dread. Finally James gripped Lily's shoulders and looked intently into her wide frightened eyes.  
  
'Don't let him do anything to you. If he… if he lays one hand on you or even an eye… You send an owl straight to me and I'll hit him so hard he'll be squealin' for mercy like a little baby. You got me?' Lily nodded. She felt some of the strength she'd felt when she first encountered James outside the common room, months ago.  
  
'He's a bouncer, like, and Dumbledore doesn't like the look of my face at the moment but you whip them if they give you any trouble.'  
  
Lily nodded again. She loved him, strangely, and this was why she was doing this crazy thing.  
  
On the other hand, having a good reason to beat up people was pretty fun, too.  
  
  
  
[AN: …really I don't have anything to say but I have to put a comment here!!! What do you think of the story so far? got any suggestions about where I can take it? Oh btw could you please help out with the names of people who would be teaching at this time and who would be students, I don't know everyone right now…k? cyaz l8r!!!] 


	4. Bitter sugar/I'm not a girl -- not yet a...

25/4/02 – hopefully fixed swearing problem  
  
[AN: … will think of comment later. Thanks guys for the reviews!! if i may borrow the expression, thank you to anyone who reviewed! besides I'm writing now & i can't get online so's I can't see who's reviewed. oh yes! new stuff to claim:]  
  
**CLAIMER/DISCLAIMER** Rhonda is my own character… well not really but you know what I mean. Everything beyond that is the product of J.K. Rowling's genius!! See previous chapters for disclaimers on other bits, I'm too lazy to keep writing them. oh and the 2nd half of this chapter title is courtesy of Britney Spears  
  
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~ The world's at your feet  
  
You've got it all  
  
Your flashes of immortality  
  
Yet we still watch you fall ~  
  
*Chapter 4* Bitter sugar/I'm not a girl - not yet a bitch  
  
It was early when Lily woke on Christmas Day. The dormitory was still quite dull. And very empty. Lily yawned and stretched on the bed, rolling over in the tousled sheets. Ol' Jamesie and his weird friends had gone home for the holidays, and she was all by herself.  
  
Lily rolled onto her other side and toppled off the bed. She decided it was time to open presents. There was a huge lumpy parcel from her parents, containing new skirts and sweaters, as well as a boxed fruitcake and Muggle lollies. Under that was a used tissue, courtesy of her sister.  
  
That ugly, horse-faced ungrateful Muggle of a Petunia. Lily shook herself and was determined not to think of her today. Already she had spotted a huge box wrapped in (strangely enough) pink, decorated with James' familiar untidy scrawl.  
  
Finally at nine o'clock she dashed down to the Great Hall for Christmas breakfast. There weren't many students there so she bolted down a dozen pancakes and four glasses of orange juice. All this time she eyed Malfoy and Snape together at the other end of the table, snickering together like giggling morons, glancing at her every so often, no doubt planning some sick-minded activity.  
  
She hurried back towards the common room and slammed straight into a tall black-haired girl.  
  
'OOH!!' She was thrown backwards into a suit of armour.  
  
'Ay! Are you okay!?' squeaked the girl, hurrying over to pick her up.  
  
'Yes, yes, I'm all right,' said Lily, standing up and cradling her head. She could see birds.  
  
'Oh, I'm so sorry!'  
  
'No, it was my fault…' Lily stood and stared at the girl for a full minute, not quite remembering where she was supposed to be going. 'Er… what's your name?'  
  
'Rhonda. Rhonda Twilless. You?'  
  
'Lily Evans.'  
  
'You!' she suddenly. 'I've heard things about you. Like that you're going out with that James Potter.'  
  
Lily looked sideways at her and saw that her cheeks were a little pink. Tinged with green for envy. 'You're not attracted to my boyfriend, are you?'  
  
'No…'  
  
'You're not attracted to me, are you?'  
  
It was Rhonda's turn to give Lily a weird look. 'What the hell are you thinking?!'  
  
'Nothing.' Lily gave her a sweet charming smile and pulled on her arm. 'Come on, let's go out into the grounds. Got nothing better to do.'  
  
They walked in silence for a while until they reached the lake and flopped down under the tree where Lily had sat with James just days before. Deep inside she hoped this wasn't going to be a sign.  
  
She studied Rhonda's face carefully. 'What house you in?'  
  
'…Slytherin.'  
  
'Really? You're too nice to be in Slytherin!'  
  
'Tell me about it.' Rhonda's face grew dark. 'I thought I was mean… and all that. Until just some time ago, one of my friends took a wand to her own head. Blew herself up. Apparently… apparently she liked me. And she couldn't say a word to anyone.' She bowed her head. 'And after that… I couldn't go hard on anyone anymore. I was afraid of it happening again.'  
  
Lily felt a lump in her throat. She was starting to feel her sympathetic side again, which James had previously locked away. There was a scurrying noise from behind and her heart lurched. Malfoy and Snape!  
  
'Quick!' She dragged Rhonda behind another nearby tree and waited, hardly breathing. The quiet scurrying escalated into trampling and Malfoy shot into view. He was panting hard as though he'd just come from a long run.  
  
'Damn! Gone! They're gone!' he yelled, as other pounding footsteps were heard and Snape appeared. He carried his wand.  
  
'They can't have just disappeared!'  
  
'I swear, I'd have gotten them if you didn't have so much FAT to lug behind you!!'  
  
They fell silent for a moment, then Lily heard the sound of Malfoy being slapped. She giggled.  
  
'It's them, isn't it?' whispered Rhonda, making a disgusted face. 'I know they're in my house, but I guess I hate 'em too.' She wriggled to the side a little, picked up an acorn on the ground and pegged it at them. It hit Snape's bottom and wedged right in. He gave a high pitched squeal and ran off, leaving Malfoy fuming.  
  
Lily and Rhonda fell about in hysterical laughter, no longer able to contain themselves. Malfoy turned and looked at them, and his eyes glittered coldly when he recognised the black-haired girl from his own proud house. He stalked off, but already his mind was formulating plans.  
  
That night, Lily sat in the deserted common room, writing a letter to James.  
  
Dear James, she wrote, Miss you heaps. What have you and the boys been up to?  
  
She paused, nibbling the tip of her quill, then wrote about the last few days in which not much had happened; "I've been having a great time. Malfoy and Snape came after me today, but they missed me. I've made a friend – her name's Rhonda and she's in their house, but she doesn't like them either." She detailed the escape with a little chuckle, then attached the note to a school owl's leg and watched it fly off into the evening sky.  
  
  
  
Now with Rhonda by her side, Lily didn't find the Christmas holidays all too long. They spent every day together and managed to ward off Malfoy and Snape multiple times by exploiting the boys' stupidity. But Malfoy and Snape were quite undoubtedly lacking in intellect, they could hardly fail to notice the new friendship between the two girls.  
  
'I reckon having a Slytherin near that Lily could pay off,' said Malfoy. 'We could bribe that … *thing* into squeezing information out of Lily.'  
  
'I dunno…' mumbled Snape. 'We'd still have to cross pretty-boy James.'  
  
Then one fateful morning Lily awoke to find her boyfriend standing over her bed looking down at her.  
  
'Oh, Jamesie! You're back!' She rolled quickly out of bed and made to throw her arms around him, but James punched them back with all his strength. She squeaked as she felt the bones in one arm shatter. 'What's up with you?'  
  
'What do you think you're doing!!' James bellowed in her face. His eyes turned red with ire and his ears were smoking again. 'Making friends with a Slytherin! You're going to the enemy, that's what!!'  
  
'B-but James, I … she—'  
  
'SHE'S A SLYTHERIN, AND THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS!!!'  
  
'No!' Lily's tongue felt numb. 'She – she hates *them* too! She even threw an acorn up Snape's butt!'  
  
'I don't care what she's done! She could be a spy! You were probably even cheating on me!'  
  
'No!! No I wasn't!!! I'd never—'  
  
'I don't want to hear it!' screamed James. Lily could do nothing but sob, and he continued his tirade. 'If you want me back you better go to that two- faced jerk right now and kick her from here to judgement day!'  
  
Lily was silent. She hadn't yet sunk low enough to punch her friend, her first friend, in the face, even if James meant the world to her…  
  
'You're just jealous, James!'  
  
'Well you're so soft!! Well you'd better watch out for your own from now, Lily Evans, because I ain't takin' responsibility for when that idiot gets you!!'  
  
He turned around and stormed off, leaving Lily shattered on her bed. She could hear the sounds of the Gryffindor common room below getting crowded, and she pulled the sheets up over her head, still sobbing. Her heart was pounding and she was still trembling from the impact of the fight. She knew now that she was left alone, unprotected and prone, by the abrupt ending of such a sweet young relationship!!! [AN: ughh… where the hell did I dredge that up from?!]  
  
In the meantime, James had fumed and fallen down the steps out of the girls' dorms, where he was met by a relatively jovial Sirius.  
  
'Hey baby! You just been up to see Lily?'  
  
'DON'T CALL ME BABY!' James yelled. It was a yelling day for him and it felt pretty good.  
  
'Aah, ack, what's ailing our Jamesie today?' Sirius adopted a sickeningly oily air. 'Has that Lily of yours finally gotten to you? Had a fight maybe?' He looked at James, and James was silent. 'Ah then, don't mind you sexy beast. You've always got better right next to you.'  
  
With this, he sidled up erotically to James, winking provocatively and making such suggestive movements that only the dullest of morons wouldn't get the message. Remus, though a little pink, fell about laughing at this but stopped when he saw that James' ears were belching out smoke once more.  
  
James clenched his fists, obviously trying hard to fight another violent outburst. 'I'm going Sirius,' he said finally. 'I need time out. Don't you dare come near me.' He turned and left the common room.  
  
'Ooooooohhhh!!!!' whispered Sirius to Remus. 'I think poor old Jamesie copped a beating from his precious Lily!!'  
  
Lily, in her cocoon, was thinking quite the opposite. She needed James, if anything because she *wanted* him, and she was certain he wanted her. But he'd beaten her up today, and here was the end of everything.  
  
Later that day when she went out to lunch she sat far away from James and co., and ate quickly. When she was finished she approached him.  
  
'James! Hey, James! Please listen to me!'  
  
He turned around and looked vaguely over her, his eyes narrowing. 'What do you want? Why aren't you out with your little Malfoy?'  
  
Lily felt a little cowed. 'Believe me James, I wouldn't cheat on you. Honest.' She looked pointedly at him. Slowly, gradually, the hardness in his eyes crumbled and he gave her the same loving glance he had back when they were on good terms.  
  
Lily smiled weakly at James, and he cocked his head at her. She raised her eyebrows.  
  
'Oh, Jamesie!' She rushed towards him, flinging her arms out, and tripped over his deliberately outstretched foot. As she crashed face first onto the cold hard floor she heard a high-pitched evil laugh, thick and cruel; she worried herself for an instant fearing that Voldemort was standing over her body.  
  
Then she heard the hollow crunch of her own skull and was plunged into darkness.  
  
  
  
[AN: wow…. that's the longest chapter I've written yet!!!!! (and a pretty slow one too…) ^_^ hmm, some things there I hadn't foreseen. what did you guys think??!! Please tell me! ( see y'all later!] 


	5. (gasp!) You liar!

25/4/02 – still minor swearing problems… hopefully fixed these up  
  
AN: Hmm… I have been reading your reviews and yes, I will try to tame the sewer-mouths as well as maybe introducing a story-line? We'll just see how it goes.  
  
  
  
*Chapter 5* (gasp!) You liar!  
  
The hospital wing was dark and cool. It was late evening, and Lily was lying on her bed staring dazedly up at the ceiling. Fragmented, disjointed thoughts kept popping up in her mind.  
  
James loves me. He wouldn't do this to me. No.  
  
She sighed; her head ached. On her bedside table was a small pile of gifts, get-well cards and lollies. Rhonda had of course sent her one – and, much to her surprise, so had Snape. Lily giggled – the poem in Snape's card was so sweet, very unlike what she would have typically expected from him. Perhaps it was just her imagination, but he and Malfoy seemed to have been maintaining their distance from her lately.  
  
The door of the ward opened quietly, throwing light into the room. Lily sat up and squinted, and immediately made out Snape's greasy black hair.  
  
'Speak of the devil…' she moaned, but she wasn't too worried. Madam Pomfrey would have his head on a pike if he tried anything funny.  
  
Snape sat on the edge of her bed, looking down at her. 'Hello, my little Lily.' he said smoothly. There was a gentle twinkling in his eyes.  
  
'Don't touch me. James will kill you if you do.'  
  
'Ahh, but don't you remember what he did to you?' He bent over, looking cruelly amused. 'He tried to kill you. Do you think this shows that he cares about you? Would you still want him back after he tried to break your skull?'  
  
'He…' Snape's smirk broadened at the confusion on her face. 'He didn't mean…—'  
  
'—as if he didn't mean it! Wake up, baby! He came back and his first greeting to you was to yell at you about your friend, just because she was in *my* house…'  
  
Lily stared. 'How did you…?'  
  
'I know these things, trust me.' He patted her arm, and allowed himself a private chuckle. 'School talk. Oh, the corridors are buzzing with rumours about your beloved James and what he did to you, so they are.'  
  
There was a long period of silence, in which Lily fought to understand her thoughts. Snape was just using the situation to his advantage. She knew it. He was… he was… but he had a point… No, she loved James and he loved her, she must not let the enemy win… but who *was* the enemy? It couldn't be Jamesie, not her Jamesie; and yet he'd tried to kill her…  
  
Meanwhile, James was in Dumbledore's office once more, but he was nervous and twitching. He couldn't meet the headmaster's angry eyes, and actually felt like he was on the verge of crying.  
  
'James…' Dumbledore began, but James cut frantically across him.  
  
'Please sir, no! It – it wasn't me! I swear! I would never have done it! I … I just … I wasn't in my right mind! Please sir, don't… don't separate us! I didn't mean it!'  
  
Dumbledore studied his face for a full minute, then dropped the gaze and sighed. James Potter begging – it was definitely a first.  
  
'Why you did it, James, is beyond my comprehension.' he rumbled. 'I will leave that matter to a better day. But what I do know is that you are a very big danger to yourself and others around you. A very big, *real* danger.'  
  
'No!!!'  
  
'It's all right James, I… I believe you. I was just saying.' He leaned forward. 'When I first summoned you here I was fully aware that you could have been under the influence of Lord Voldemort. He is gaining power again, I'm afraid. At first I thought that you were too pure and too clean to allow such a dark soul to infect you, but seeing you in the past few weeks…'  
  
James glared. For a moment his old flare returned. 'Are you calling me evil? I'm not EVIL!'  
  
'Oh, no. Not at all. You may leave, James. There is nothing more I can do for you. Lily will be fine in a matter of days.'  
  
James stood and shuffled out, his ears ringing. A little voice was chattering away in the back of his mind and he made no effort to stop it. [I can't be under Voldemort's influence. I can't. I'm a bad boy by nature, not by influence. No, I'm bad but not evil]. And he laughed at that.  
  
Back in the common room he found Remus, Peter and Sirius doing what they usually did – playing wizard chess. They looked up as he approached, and then regarded him as though he was an axe murderer. There was an uncomfortable pause.  
  
'Ah, I… I feel nature calling.' muttered Sirius and tried to escape, but James caught hold of him. He was positively crying now.  
  
'Sirius! Sit down, you stupid bum. I'm not about to kill you. I'm not about to kill anyone!'  
  
'What about L—'  
  
'Shut your face about my girlfriend, you prick.' he hissed. 'I didn't try to kill her.'  
  
'Sure James, of course not.' But he could tell that they didn't believe him.  
  
  
  
In the course of a week Lily managed to convince Madam Pomfrey that she was well enough to escape the hospital wing. Physically she was healed, but Snape's night visit had left her in utter confusion. Suppose Snape's intentions were good and true, and he had only been trying to protect her from James? In any case he was in Slytherin… but then again, so was Rhonda.  
  
A few people gave Lily weird looks as she returned to her place, but not as many as Snape had made out. If that was school talk then Hogwarts was a pretty damn boring place. But Lily, entrenched in deep thought, failed to notice this.  
  
One afternoon just before lunch, Lily heard someone calling her. She recognised James' voice and turned quickly away.  
  
'Lily! Lily, quit ignoring me! I'm trying to talk to you here!'  
  
She walked on without looking back, struggling to fight back her tears. She still loved him and maybe he still loved her but if he did, she thought he had a weird way of showing it.  
  
During lunch she dragged Rhonda out to the grounds where they sat under "the James tree" and threw pebbles into the lake.  
  
'It just doesn't make sense Rhonda,' said Lily as she hurled a particularly large stone at the lake. 'I was sure he loved me, but… he tried to kill me. He told me that Snape and Malfoy were the enemy, but Snape's got a point, he really has. I'm starting to believe him.'  
  
'Sounds like you trust Snape more than your own boyfriend, huh.'  
  
'It's crazy, but I guess right now he's more trustworthy than James is.'  
  
They sat for a while in silence, then Lily glanced at her watch. 'Oh, we're late. Better go now or else I'll have to sit next to *him* in class.'  
  
'Sure thing. Seeya!'  
  
[AN: Ack! I still don't think this is going anywhere!!]  
  
No matter what Lily told herself, her feelings made it difficult to keep away from James. He, on the other hand, had several times considered taking a wand to his own head. Lily had ditched him, Snape was taking advantage of this, he was practically under Voldemort's control and now even his own friends were beginning to alienate him. It would have been the best thing for everyone.  
  
He looked up and saw Malfoy standing over him.  
  
'What do you want?' he snarled.  
  
'You should know what ol' Severus is doing to your Lily-Lily. She trusts him.'  
  
'WHAT?!'  
  
'It's quite the natural thing, Potter. You tried to kill her. Why should she trust you? Snape knows as much. He's using your idiocy to win her in different ways.'  
  
James stared at Malfoy, his eyes full of dark hatred. 'Why are you telling me this?'  
  
Malfoy's eyes narrowed. 'Do you know what that fool offered me if I managed to snag Lily? A threesome. A threesome! I don't want a bloody threesome, at least not with him! No, he's just gay. I'm not having anything else to do with him.'  
  
'So basically you're using me to get your revenge.'  
  
'Basically.' Malfoy sniggered and punched James. 'If you want that girl back you better start now or she'll have you crying like a little pussy.' He walked away.  
  
'How do I know you're not putting me up to this?' James called after him.  
  
He grinned slyly. 'Just trust me, Potter.'  
  
The year dragged on wearily, with the great silence between James and Lily widening. Finally as the Gryffindor second-years emerged from a compelling Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson, James took hold of Lily's shoulders and steered her into a side corridor.  
  
He looked deeply into her eyes just as he had done the first time he kissed her. 'Lily, I have to talk to you. You've been ignoring me and you don't know what I've got to say!'  
  
Lily looked at him coldly. 'I don't have to hear what you've got to say. All I know is you tried to kill me. You lied to me! Everything you ever did with me was a LIE!'  
  
'Snape's been spoon-feeding you his twisted ideas, hasn't he!?' He was shouting now. 'Why do you listen to him, Lily? He's the enemy! He's manipulating you, can't you see!'  
  
'And what do I have to gain by staying with YOU? You – you try to kill me, you bag out my friend – my ONLY friend, just because of a personal grudge! You're such an airhead James Potter, I don't know why I was ever blind enough not to see through you in the first place.'  
  
James reeled from the impact of her words. He stared at her, trying to find words that would change her mind, convince her that what he was saying was true.  
  
'I've been to Dumbledore, Lily. Voldemort's getting stronger. And you know what? He's using me for his own sick desires. He wants you, and I'm just a pawn in his game.' His eyes went misty. 'Believe me Lily, please. I love you and I'd never hurt you.'  
  
Watching Lily contemplate this, his heart clenched. How much of his behaviour was because of Voldemort, and how much was natural? Had he managed to finally make her reconsider?  
  
'Do you know how stupid that sounds James? Blame it all on Voldemort, why don't you.' She started to sound more amused than angry.  
  
'Ha… That's not something I'd joke about Lily.'  
  
They lapsed into another short silence. Lily looked over and spotted Rhonda hovering about the door of a nearby classroom. She winked.  
  
'I… I guess you're right James…'  
  
'So you believe me?'  
  
'I'm still not saying I believe you. But… what the hell, I'll just have to trust you won't I?' She threw her arms around his neck. He held her tightly. A few tears splashed down his cheeks and landed on her shoulder.  
  
'THERE you are!'  
  
James spun around and came face to face with Sirius.  
  
'Made it up with Lily here, have you?'  
  
'You decided that I'm telling the truth?' James grumbled roughly.  
  
'Yes, yes.' Remus got down on one knee and held out his hands like a beggar. 'Oh Jamesie! Please forgive us!' He got up and looked serious. 'Dumbledore told us you know, we didn't believe him but then here you are with Lily… So will you forgive us?'  
  
'Whatever!' he giggled, and gathered everyone around for a big group hug. [AN: This is not something I can imagine them doing]  
  
A loud clunk was heard from behind and Sirius promptly marched over to where Snape was standing, staring at James and Lily with utmost revulsion. Malfoy was nowhere in sight. Sirius paused then slapped Snape's face to the sound of echoing laughter.  
  
'Take a hike, you moron!'  
  
Snape sidled off, gingerly rubbing his pink cheek.  
  
The others roared with laughter as Sirius rejoined them. James felt his heart turn over, laughing and watching Lily laugh. Things were all right now weren't they? He had his friends back. Maybe now he could cool off on the fact that Lily had made friends with a Slytherin girl. He'd put the wrongs right.  
  
But the little voice in the back of his mind whispered, 'But Voldemort's still here, and you can't fight him…'  
  
  
  
[AN: Is that a better chapter? shudder I can't stand it, ugh, this story is going nowhere. :P Anyway please review, and you can flame all you like if you really want to, I know I'm not perfect!! cyaz!] 


	6. Comic Interlude

AN: (just a little comic interlude or maybe an ending since this story is going nowhere? you can decide that)  
  
oh and :DISCLAIMER: I borrowed the chipmunk line from BG2:ToB. Prof. Dextra is mine, only because I don't know who'd be teaching Astronomy at that time. And everything else… you know the deal.  
  
*Comic Interlude/Chapter 6* The beginnings of something weird  
  
~ Let's fast forward to a few years later… ~  
  
Sirius and Remus sat by the fire in the common room waiting for Peter to return with Lily and James. They'd just come back from a Hogsmeade visit overloaded with sweets and Lily had slipped away with James the minute they set foot in the castle. Too lazy to do it himself, Sirius had sent Peter out to look for him.  
  
The portrait hole swung open with a jolt and James toppled through, followed by Lily and Peter who crashed down on top of him.  
  
'Hee hee, hee hee,' James giggled. He squirmed like a squashed bug, then he rolled over and started singing. 'I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts…'  
  
Lily stared at him and shook her head. 'For someone who supposedly has his mind tainted by the evil of Lord Voldie, you remind me considerably of a chipmunk with a sugar high and a death wish.'  
  
'Har har, that's a good one Lily!' He jumped up and danced around the table. 'Again! Again! Let's hear it again!' Honeydukes chocolate wrappers were strewn all over the floor and he dived down into it, giggling like a giggling moron.  
  
Sirius groaned and bashed his head against the chair cushion. 'See, I KNEW we'd regret feeding him those free sweets back in the village—'  
  
'—and Butterbeer!'  
  
'Yes, yes, Peter. Though I don't think we managed quite enough to get him drunk. Damn it, we'll have to put up with it all night!'  
  
**Meanwhile, in the Slytherin common room…**  
  
Since Malfoy had rejected Snape's proposals to "snag Lily", Snape had found a new alliance with Crabbe.  
  
'You shoved enough sweets onto that fool to get him on a good high?' hissed Snape.  
  
'Yeah, that sugar-loving freak!' Crabbe grinned evilly. 'All we can do now is just hope that he eats them all up and times his sugar high right… and he'll be right on time to meet that howling friend of his – on a romantic evening!'  
  
Snape giggled shrilly. 'Yessss!! Then we'll be free of that jerk forever, and then… the prize, our pretty Lily!' His eyes glittered. 'High five!'  
  
Crabbe missed, and smacked Snape square in the nose.  
  
'OY! You dunderhead fool, I might as well drop YOU from a great height, you might want to join—'  
  
'Ssh!' he hissed. The "Lily's friend" girl, Rhonda, was standing near by, and they didn't like the look she was giving them.  
  
'Forget it.' snarled Snape. 'She can't do anything. She doesn't know anything. Besides, our plans should all run smoothly from here on out…'  
  
**Back in the Gryffindor common room…**  
  
James twirled around in a circle, before flitting over to the side windows. He slammed straight into the glass door.  
  
'Oh, Jamesie!' Lily sighed and went to open the door for him. 'How many times do I have to tell you, it's a glass door…!'  
  
The door opened out onto the balcony [AN: did they even HAVE balconies at Hogwarts??]. Lily drew back the curtains before James could waltz straight through them, throwing light out into the dark evening. James stood up on the lowest step of the railing and threw his arms out to the bright round moon, across which fat clouds were wafting.  
  
'I'm the king of the world!'  
  
'Honestly James…'  
  
Remus came up behind Lily. 'Forget it Lils, he'll be like this too long for you to bother. Let's go down to dinner.' He practically dragged her off the balcony and threw the curtains over the windows, shuddering. Lily glanced sideways at him but he said nothing.  
  
And so leaving James perched up on his throne, Lily and the others went down to the Great Hall for a feast, even stuffed with sweets as they were.  
  
  
  
Twenty minutes and a great deal of food later, they were back in the common room lying back with their hands clasped over their stuffed bellies. The curtains were still drawn but from the sound of an enthusiastic rendition of 'We're going on a bear hunt', James was still out on the balcony.  
  
Lily looked out at the bright fire. 'Ooooh, hey guys, do you think Professor Dextra's gonna get us up to the Astronomy tower tonight to look at the stars?'  
  
'Hmm, ahh…' Sirius lay on his back, patting his stomach. Peter had dozed off. 'I dunno Lily.'  
  
'It's a good night for it, with the full moon and everything, but the clouds are quite thick, eh?'  
  
'Mmm…'  
  
Lily rolled over, drawing her eyebrows in playful frustration. 'Come on, you great big galoot! I just want a decent conversation with you, for once in my lifetime!'  
  
'Ahhh…' Sirius grinned at her as Peter snorted in his sleep. 'Chill, Lilzy, I'm too full of—'  
  
'Crap?'  
  
'No… food. Ach.' He shut his eyes.  
  
Lily shook her head, muttering 'Boys…' She looked over at the balcony. 'Hey, Jamesie!' she called. 'Mind if I join ya?'  
  
No response.  
  
'Er… James?'  
  
Sirius opened bleary red eyes and stared at her. 'No need to yell, Lily, I can hears ya clear enough.'  
  
Just then they heard a little 'eek!', then a thud and a crash, and a voice screaming as though falling from a great height. Lily rushed out to the balcony and sure enough, James had fallen. She rushed back in to rouse Sirius.  
  
'Get up! Get up, you lazy thing!'  
  
'What? What? What? What?'  
  
'James – oh, Sirius – James fell off the balcony!'  
  
'Too right he did. I heard him screaming. Like a little girl he is.'  
  
'Sirius!! I'm serious!!'  
  
'You're not Sirius, I am.'  
  
'Grrr!!! I mean it! Please! He could be hurt!'  
  
Sirius looked into her eyes. His insides squirmed uncomfortably but he fought to have confidence in himself. 'Look, James will be okay. His ma practically raised him on sugar. Sure it'll save him… if anything will.' Lily's tense expression had begun to relax but she knitted her eyebrows at his last few words. Sirius chuckled. 'Aw c'mon Lily, lighten up! He's pretty tough. Just send Remus out to get him.'  
  
He looked over to where Peter was still snoring. 'Er, Remus? Remus old boy?' Quick as a bullet he sat up and rushed outside. 'Oh NO! It's the full moon!' He rammed straight through the portrait hole, dragging the slumbering Peter with him.  
  
Lily hurried after them, panting. 'Do – you – mind – explaining – what's – going – on?'  
  
'No time!' Sirius replied. They went down several flights of stairs until they knocked down the Great Hall doors and plunged themselves into the dark night.  
  
Perhaps it was just Lily's imagination but the cool air on her skin felt creepy. Something was near them, in the air itself maybe, that didn't feel right.  
  
'Over there!' Sirius cried, but as they dashed towards the Gryffindor tower they heard an eerie howl. Lily stopped but Sirius took hold of her arm. 'No Lily, don't! It's not safe! Come ON!'  
  
They reached the ground under the common room window, and saw the dark heap that was James' body. Lily took a trembling step forward but jumped backwards when she sensed movement.  
  
  
  
Someone had beaten them to it.  
  
  
  
^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^  
  
AN: Ah well… I know that was weird. It was just a chapter break, after all. Flame all you like, I have writers block. Until next time, aye? :P 


	7. CI Part 2

AN: Be prepared for ridiculous strange stuff… although if you're reading this you'd know that already. Damn it, why do I have to be so weird!?  
  
**CLAIMER/DISCLAIMER** Here's one for you, Aurora!! :P If you see any people here you don't recognise, they're probably mine, ok?  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
*Comic Interlude Part 2/Chapter 7* James! Is that you in Remus' belly?!  
  
Lily shrieked. Facing her, perched on James' motionless body, was a fully grown werewolf. Its eyes were glittering like red sapphires, glaring angrily at her. Sirius and Peter whipped out their wands.  
  
'HOY!' they screamed together, and Lily flew sideways into a ditch. The werewolf stood staring, confused. It didn't know whether to go after Lily or defend its prey.  
  
'Remus,' said Sirius, his voice trembling. 'That's you, isn't it?' But the creature only snarled. Very obviously poor Remus had no control over his wolfish mind and would eat his friends as readily as he would understand them.  
  
The werewolf lunged at Peter, and Lily screamed. Peter ducked and scurried to the ditch where she was hidden. Remus turned his fury-lit eyes towards Sirius and growled. Lily drew out her wand with shaking hands, the way she'd done at the lake with Malfoy and Snape, and aimed at the werewolf.  
  
'NO LILY! DON'T…!'  
  
'Exp-exp-expelliarmus!' Lily squeaked. For a moment it looked like nothing happened, but then several tufts of fur flew out of Remus' coat and smothered her face. The werewolf recoiled in pain and humiliation, then turned towards her.  
  
'Run, Lily!' She didn't need warning twice. But as she hurled herself back into the ditch, the werewolf pounced and knocked her to the ground.  
  
Lily's heart was pounding in her chest. Common sense warned her that the werewolf would not like it if she screamed. Sirius and Peter held their breaths for a long, long moment that seemed to stretch across an eternity. The werewolf's paws pressed into Lily's chest. She found her breaths growing louder and louder. And then…  
  
'Hold up, bro!'  
  
Three shadowed figures emerged from behind a cluster of trees, pointing wands at the werewolf. Lily squinted and she could see that their robes glowed green in the moonlight. One of them looked familiar.  
  
'…Rhonda?'  
  
Rhonda looked down at Lily. 'Think I'd abandon you in your time of need? No chance, buddy. We're here to put a stop to this silliness.'  
  
Sirius drew back, staring. 'Erm…'  
  
'Ah yes!' cried one of the others, a shorter girl with brown hair. 'How rude of us. Introductions first, of course, of course. I'm Krystal.'  
  
'I'm Rhonda.'  
  
'And I'm Chelsea,' said a third, blond girl. 'And we're… Super Fine No Grime Saving Time Werewolf Busters!' They pulled off a few backflips and star-jumps, landing in a striking pose. All this time they kept their wands pointed at the werewolf who still had Lily pinned to the ground, but was now looking at them curiously.  
  
'Well, how do you like it?' said Krystal to Lily. 'We spent, like, *hours* working on that routine.'  
  
Sirius looked at them like he was about to wet his pants. 'Oh come on, please! This is too ridiculous! This would never happen, not even in an imagination fantasy book!' [AN: Many thanks to my… flaming friend, who said something like this]  
  
'Nonsense!' said Chelsea. She stared down the werewolf. It slowly got off Lily's chest and slinked away into the trees, though looking back at the three girls in a way that said something other than that it wanted to eat them.  
  
'See?' Rhonda gloated. 'We do it, every time! Well, gotta go, I—' She stopped abruptly as she saw what Remus was doing. 'No! Bad boy!'  
  
Sirius rushed over and snarled at the werewolf, who had bits of James hanging out of his mouth.  
  
'Bad, bad Remus! You don't eat your friends!' Krystal wagged a finger at the werewolf, who dropped James' toes and slithered away sadly.  
  
'Uh, Kryssie?' Chelsea came up from behind. 'I think we're a little late.'  
  
Lily threw back her head and began to howl much like Remus had done. For when they looked down at what remained of James there was only a pile of robes and the few toes that had fallen from Remus' mouth.  
  
The next morning Lily's eyes were puffy and red from crying all night. She had hung James' robes in her dorm, along with a box that contained his toes. She went slowly down to the common room and into the Great Hall where she was met by Sirius, Peter, and Remus.  
  
'Lily…'  
  
'No, don't speak! I – the only voice I want to hear is… No, no, you're right.'  
  
'Lily, I'm sorry.' Remus was distraught. 'I – I wasn't in my right mind! Please, I didn't mean to do it!'  
  
'That's all right Remus,' Lily smiled though it obviously took a lot of effort. 'I understand. You were a … a werewolf and you had to eat. It's all right.'  
  
'No, it isn't, I…ate my friend… your boyfriend… I…' He dropped his head, looking upset. Before anyone could stop him he took out his wand, held it against his head and cried "Avada Kedavra". There was a flash of green light and there was Remus, lying in a heap at Lily's feet.  
  
A long moment of shock.  
  
Rhonda came over and put her arms around Lily, who was sobbing hysterically.  
  
'I… I… dead! He is… all my… waaaaah!'  
  
'Hush! Quiet Lily, you'll be okay.'  
  
In the background, Peter and Sirius shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot as bystanders flocked around them to see what had happened.  
  
'Er, come on Lily,' said Peter gently 'Let's just… go get some breakfast, okay?'  
  
  
  
Sitting at the Gryffindor table, Lily felt sick staring at her bacon and eggs. Sirius, on the other hand, was stuffing his face.  
  
'Come on, honey! Please, lighten up…' She glared at him and he stopped. 'Jeez, jeez, okay! It's just… what can we do about it Lily? They're dead, they're gone.' She didn't answer.  
  
'Well, I guess that's the end of the story then, isn't it?' mumbled Peter. 'What with him being one of the main characters and all.'  
  
'Yes, I suppose.' replied Sirius. 'But it doesn't feel right. I mean, poor Lily, and poor James, and poor Remus…'  
  
Over at the Slytherin table, Snape was looking apprehensively at the sobbing girl. He nudged Crabbe: once, twice, three times.  
  
'What? What is it? You made me spill orange juice on my bacon!'  
  
'Shut up you loser! Listen, do you think I should go talk to Lily? Is now a good chance?'  
  
'Now? Now?! Look at her, Severus. For goodness' sake! She's distraught!'  
  
'I…' Snape faltered. His eyes hurt. 'I… just can't stand seeing her so miserable! Oh, this is all my fault!'  
  
Then he dropped his head on the table and wailed.  
  
  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
AN: Weird, VERY weird I know. Flame if you want, I don't really care. Cyaz l8r! :P 


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